Hey, you! Yes, you! The super awesome person who clicked to read my story! This is the third and final installment in a trilogy of Danny Phantom fanfiction. If you haven't already, please go back and read the first two stories! Thank you!

-Emily

Chapter 1

Sam focused, and Danny saw her eyes flash a yellow color as she made Danny's backpack levitate.

The two teens were in Danny's room, where Danny had suggested they train a little. Sam was still struggling to get a handle on what Tucker had dubbed her "ghostly telekinesis," and she was spending a lot of time practicing with her abilities as of late.

"Okay," Danny said. "Now try and flip it over."

Sam squinted as she focused. Sam could move things back and forth, but it was much harder for her to rotate them. The backpack twitched and trembled in the air before Sam's power gave out and it toppled onto the floor.

"This is hopeless, Danny," Sam said, sighing as she plopped down next to Danny on his bed. "I'm never going to get the hang of this."

"Yes, you will," Danny assured her, putting his arm around the Goth's shoulders. "I know you can do this."

The two of them sat like that for a while before Sam finally broke the contented silence.

"All right," she said, standing up and making the backpack levitate again. "Let's try it again."

dpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpx

Outside of Danny's window, Vlad Plasmius watched the girl's sorry attempts at using her powers. Vlad was making sure to keep out of range of both the Fenton's Ghost Shield and Daniel's ghost sense, but even at such a large distance he could still see Samantha fail with her powers and hear her cursing in frustration.

She powerful, but untrained, Vlad thought. Perhaps I should just destroy her now, get it over with. It would be easy.

But no. It would be so much more gratifying to destroy the two in the way he'd originally planned.

I must be patient, Vlad thought, flying away.

dpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpxdpx

It was the Friday before Casper High got out for Winter Break. The school's atmosphere was one of excitement and impatience. Lunch time was loud, the cafeteria buzzing with anticipation as people thought about the three weeks of freedom ahead of them.

"Three whole weeks off from school!" Tucker exclaimed between mouthfuls of his lunch. "I can't wait!"

"Chew, then talk," Sam said, feeling queasy as she watched the cafeteria's mystery meat bounce around in Tucker's mouth.

"Sorry," Tucker said, swallowing. "So, what are you two doing for break?"

"I'm just going to be relaxing," Sam said. "My parents are out of town for the next few weeks, so I really have nothing to do."

"What about you, Danny?" Tucker asked.

"Oh, you know… same old, same old," Danny said, shrugging. "Sleeping, eating, hanging out with my super-awesome girlfriend..."

"I sure hope you mean me," Sam said. Danny smiled as he leaned over and kissed her.

"Guys, I'm right here!" Tucker reminded his two friends, who broke apart blushing.

"Sorry, Tuck," Danny said. "So, what are you doing over break?"

Tucker brightened as he started talking about a new video game that was coming out over the weekend. Sam half-listened to Tucker, but couldn't concentrate fully.

Suddenly, a voice leaked into Sam's head. And it wasn't Danny's.

Hello, Samantha.

Sam gasped as Vlad Masters' voice rung out, clear as day.

"Did you hear that?" Sam whispered. Her two friends stopped their talking and turned to Sam, who had gone as pale as… well, a ghost.

"Hear what?" Danny asked. "Sam, are you okay?"

Sam shook her head, her eyes glued to the table in front of her.

"Vlad," Sam whispered. "He's here."

But that's the beauty of it, Samantha. I'm not here. And yet you can hear me! Now, how could that be?

"He's talking to me," Sam said, fear coloring her words. "He must have planted some kind of chip in me when he kidnapped me. I can hear him…"

Even thinking about Vlad was traumatic for Sam. He'd nearly killed her last time he'd seen her, almost electrocuting her to death with a machine of his. Even though Danny and Sam had escaped, and that evil machine had exploded along with Vlad's lab, Sam still feared the evil millionaire Halfa and dreaded the day when she'd have to meet him again.

Now his voice came to her, and it felt like he was right there beside her again, pressing that horrible button that sent her careening into a world of pain. But she wasn't in Vlad's lab right now. She was in the cafeteria, her two best friends in the world staring at her in worry and fear.

Even without looking over at him, Sam could tell Danny was angry with Vlad. In her peripheral, she could see him tense up at Vlad's name. His eyes flashed green as he clenched his hands into fists.

"That… fruitloop!" Danny cried. "I'm going to kill him!"

"Wait…" Sam whispered, holding up a finger. "I think he's going to talk again."

You thought correctly, Samantha. I only wished to tell you that my offer still stands. You can be my apprentice… I could train you so much faster than Daniel ever could. Join me, Samantha…

"Never," Sam hissed. Tucker and Danny looked scared now. Sam wondered whether they were scared of Vlad… or her.

"Sam, are you sure this isn't in your imagination?" Tucker said cautiously. "I mean, you've been really stressed lately, what with your powers and everything…"

Yes, Samantha. Are you sure I'm here? Are you sure you haven't just gone insane?

Sam stood up, grabbing her backpack, pressing her hand to her forehead which now felt burning hot. She wasn't crazy, right? Right?

"I... need some fresh air," Sam muttered before she fled from the cafeteria.

"Sam, wait!" Danny called, but suddenly his ghost sense went off, a thin blue wisp of air escaping his lips.

"Ghost?" Tucker said.

"Apparently," Danny replied, crawling under the table and going ghost. He turned invisible before flying out of the table. He kept himself intangible as he flew out of the school, flying into the blue skies above Casper High. Vlad Plasmius floated before Danny, smiling down as the teen flew up to meet him. Danny attacked immediately.

"Stay… away… from… my… girlfriend!" He cried, screaming a word with every punch he threw at Vlad. Vlad easily dodged the boys attacks, smiling smugly. Danny shot some Ghost Rays, which Vlad again avoided without breaking a sweat.

Vlad chuckled at the younger Halfa's attempts to destroy him.

"Your anger is distracting you from combat, Daniel," Vlad said, his lips curling into a scary smile. "Your emotions are your weakness."

"Shut up, Fruitloop!" Danny cried, finally nailing Vlad in the chest with a Ghost Ray. Vlad was shot backwards, but soon had recovered, brushing himself off.

"I do not wish to fight, Daniel," Vlad said, his tone taking on mock-sincerity. "I only wish to warn you that this isn't over."

"What?" Danny said, confused. "What isn't over?"

"I still want your Samantha as my own. As my apprentice, my daughter, my companion," Vlad said. Danny shivered at how creepy his words sounded. "If she won't come over willingly… well, I'll have to do some not-so-good things to get her to come."

"If you ever lay a hand on Sam, I swear…" Danny hissed.

"Me? Never!" Vlad said. "But if she doesn't agree to come with me… I just might have to."

Danny shot a dozen more ghost rays at Vlad, which he swerved out of the way of far too easily.

"Just a warning, Daniel," Vlad said, grinning menacingly. "You may want to keep a close eye on that girlfriend of yours for the next few hours. By the end of the day, she will be mine."

Danny watched Vlad fly away, shaking with fury and fear.

By the end of the day, she will be mine…

"Never," Danny said, flying back into his school to find Sam.